Need Help W Home Patrol Northeast Ohio

[axp]

I recently purchased a Home Patrol and am using it in Painesville. I am not sure what I am doing wrong, but basically I cannot pick up any signals. The signal strength shows 0 bars. I have read the instructions and they say to adjust the squelch, as well as distance, and volume. I have tried all of these things and I do have the antenna installed. I even tried driving around with it the other right into painesville and mentor and all I ever get is a very occasional Bainbridge or Eastlake transmission. the unit does continually scan frequencies, but it just seems that it never really picks anything up to stop on. Also, I have installed Home Patrol Sentinel and have updated the software and firmware. Can anyone help or suggest what I should do next?

[phask]

I presume you are using the complete database and not a favorite.

Check all these.

First try to get NOAA Weather - if you can not get it something is wrong.

Maje sure you have all the various services turned on - most likely this is the problem - law ;law tac, law dispatch, all the fire, etc.

Just for the heck of it set range to 30 - that is way too high but should ensure there is something.

Set squelch at 2 - unless it locks up at 2 - no more than 3.


You should also do all the updates via Sentinel and update the database to keep current.
If this does not get you going it's probably broke - also check the Uniden forum on here.

[mass-man]

One of the more common mistakes is to update the firmware and the database in Sentinel and then not WRITE TO RADIO!!! You may have done this, and it seems the radio is working if you heard transmissions while driving around. Setting to 30 miles is a good idea...also select the proper service.

If you are upgrading from a previous scanner, then pick a known, strong signal and enter it in manually in the HP and see what happens...

[LZ56]

AXP, you should be able to hear NOAA weather radio on 162.55 mhz, as well as some low-band fire comms on 46.14, or you can try selecting only aircraft and then monitor the full DB ... you should hear some airplanes.

Are you scanning favorite list(s)? If so, are you only scanning the MARCS P25 system? If so, you may not have the proper SYSTEM TYPE defined. Make sure it's defined as P25 STANDARD. And as others have suggested, make sure you select all the SERVICE TYPES you want to hear.

[axp]

Ok, can anyone confirm that the most recent database version is 01/13/2013, and the most recent Firmware version is 1.02? I believe I have everything updated, but would just like to confirm. This is what I have done per the suggestions in this thread. I expanded the parameters to 30 miles, and all services. I did pick up some things at that point, ie some aircraft, Hillcrest Hospital Security, portage police, and some other misc signals that are not relevant to me. I also tuned it to the NOAA weather radio on 162.55 mhz and got a signal I could hear and listen to and it had two bars (out of 4) of signal. When I went to refine the services again, I am back to hearing virtually nothing. I would like to hear Lake County Sherriff, Mentor Police, Painesville Police, Highway Patrol, etc. I cannot get a signal for these services even if I am traveling, and I know they are transmitting because I can get them over the internet. I am a little lost if I have a radio that will not suit my needs, or if I simply have an incorrect setting that is not allowing me to pick up what I would like to. Once again, any advice or help is appreciated.

[kascinoh]

axp, I think the problem you are experiencing is the fact your do not have the latest firmware version - I think it is now 2.04. You will want to go to Sentinel, and have it check your firmware version.

[phask]

Originally Posted by kascinoh

axp, I think the problem you are experiencing is the fact your do not have the latest firmware version - I think it is now 2.04. You will want to go to Sentinel, and have it check your firmware version.

Latest firmware should not change what he is NOT getting, just improve simulcast transmissions.

[LZ56]

AXP, I think I know what's wrong. Sentinel uses the RR database, which has the SYSTEM TYPE of the MARCS IP P25 stuff defined as P25 X2-TDMA. The HP-1 does not recognize a SYSTEM TYPE of P25 X2-TDMA, and does not receive systems defined that way. You need to create, on Sentinel, favorite list(s) for the MARCS IP P25 stuff you want to hear, and make sure you give them a SYSTEM TYPE of P25 STANDARD. Then download your favorite list(s) to the HP-1 via Sentinel's "write to home patrol" function. Then select those favorite list(s) for scanning on your HP-1.

I had the same problem as you and it was the SYSTEM TYPE.

See here: Ohio MARCS - IP (Project 25 System)

[axp]

Ok, Im getting closer. Thanks to everyone for the assistance. Basically, I needed to go to the Uniden website and update Sentinel and then update Home Patrol. I didnt realize that one of the glitches of the earlier versions of Sentinel was that it always says it's always "up to date". I am now able to listen to just about everything I wanted to except Highway Patrol. Does anyone know under what heading, or how to find Highway Patrol on the Home Patrol?

[tonya]

You can find OSP under Ohio Marcs-Multi Agency Commun... I’m able to hear most of the post's 20 or so miles from Cleveland. this area is district 3. I'm also able to hear district 10 which is the turnpike from my home not far from Euclid. Some advise. If all you want to hear is OSP make a favorite list and avoid all the sites that are not remotely close to your home. Otherwise it takes a while to scan thru.

[LZ56]

Tonya gives good advice about a favorite list. Note that Lake, Geauga, Ashtabula, and other counties east of Cleveland are in OSP district 4.

You can find OSP in the Sentinel DB by looking at:

USA ---> OHIO ---> LAKE ---> STATEWIDE ---> OHIO MARCS - MULTI-AGENCY RADIO COMMUNICATIONS ---> OSP DISTRICTS 03 / 04 / 10

If you make a favorite list for monitoring OSP traffic near Lake county, be sure to include the tower sites (frequencies) for at least Chesterland, Chardon, and Wickliffe, and maybe Beachwood and Cleveland.